The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 1879.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5633, 19 April 1879, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 1879.

Upon a former occasion we undertook to advocate the raising of the £IOO,OOO loan for improving the streets and roadways of the town. At that time we pointed out that during the past few years Cook Ward had hardly received a fair share of the city expenditure, and that it might reasonably expect to receive more consideration in the future. We did not anticipate any serious opposition to the loan at the time, but the tone of a correspondence which has appeared in this paper under the signature of “Tom Brown,” and which has since been issued in a pamphlet form, proves that a party exists who are inclined to oppose the loan strenuously. Assuming that the money if raised will be wisely expended, we desire to point out that from a more exalted stand-point than that which is generally taken up in respect to this matter, there are some almost incontrovertible arguments in favor of the project. Hitherto, parts of Mount Cook Ward have been practically neglected suburbs of the city. The contemplated improvements will attract a considerable population to that quarter, and will relieve the pressure and crowding upon other more thickly settled parts of the town. The sanitary gain, both to Cook Ward and to the rest of the city, will be very great. The truth of this assertion may be proved by reference to the statistics of any large city. Thus in Melbourne city the death-rate during the six years ending 1876 was 28'2 per 1000, in the suburbs the death-rate only averages from 19 to 20 per 1000, in the country districts it is about 15 per 1000. In New Zealand, throughout the colony the death-rate during 1877 was only 11 per 1000 ; in Wellington city it was 19'5, and in 1878 15‘56 per 1000. The above figures may be taken as evidence in favor of the direct gain to the community which accrues through a wide distribution of the population. It must be remembered that a high death-rate invariably implies a very long list of invalids ; unfortunately those invalided are but too often the bread-winners of the household afflicted. The risk of any excessive crowding until the drainage scheme is completed is so great that even if the expenditure of the £IOO,OOO did but diminish this one risk, it might be sound economy to raise and expend the money. The arguments taken by the opponents of the loan may be summarised thus—the city is heavily in debt, and the new roads and footpaths are luxuries, the expense ,of which if indulged in may cripple the resources of the city when it desires to raise money for the extensive drainage works. It seems to us in the first place that it is more than doubtful whether the loan for the now streets will not effect a direct saving to the community of ratepayers. Gravel footpaths, or even those of asphalt, are far more expensive to keep in repair than those made of the concrete pavement; and the difference of cost of maintenance will almost, if not quite, pay the interest on the loan. In addition to this, Wellington dust is proverbial, when the streets are cleaned or watered the footpaths are systematically left untouched. The paving of the footpaths will probably diminish the dust very considerably, and the damage done, by it to tradesmen’s goods ought to be diminished in like proportion. Apart from the personal comfort and convenience of well-paved streets, there will, be a slight saving in shoe leather, especially in wet weather, which, though small and trivial in individual instances, in the aggregate will amount to an appreciable item. Assuming that a sd.' rate is necessary to cover the interest on the loan now, the tax, which will grow less as population increases, will not amount to so large a sum as to affect rents or to depreciate the selling value of property. The man who pays £IOO a year rent will have to contribute an extra two pounds for the privilege of living in a less crowded and more healthy town, with better roads, and infinitely superior footways. So far from this loan, if wisely expended, lowering the value of property ; it ought to have the opposite effect. Good roads and footpaths are an inducement to newcomers to settle, and to old identities to remain in town rather than to make them run away from it. The drainage scheme is still in embryo, and when it is started (it may for a brief space of time cause some of the new roads to be partly broken up, but not, in our opinion, to an extent which is liable to be so seriously prejudicial to the work done as to render further delay advisable. The drainage scheme is something altogether apart from the one under consideration. "When it comes on for discussion it will be time enough to refer to it at length ; at present we may simply state our belief that the cost of scavengering and nightmen is nearly, if not quite, as heavy as the 7d. drainage rate will be, and that nothing which can be said or done can possibly delay the speedy inauguration of the drainage scheme. If the high rate of infant mortality, together with the prevalent sickness does not impel councillors to take immediate action in the matter, medical men predict that an epidemic outbreak of zymotic disease may decimate the population, and so enforce a tardy obedience to the inexorable laws of sanitary science.

We have no sympathy with those who cry out for a public expenditure on the

plea that the times are hard and it will provide employment. This is but the old cry of jianem et circenses in disguise. The expenditure of the £IOO,OOO loan will benefit all classes of the community, the laboring classes most of all. Not because it provides a temporary employment to the laborers, but because it will open numerous building sites in a healthy and convenient district, which are sure to be sought after and built upon ; and the house room provided will relieve the pressure in the town itself. Experience in London as well as in all other large townshasshown that the working men, as they are called, are the first to be squeezed out of a town. As a rule they have no leases and can least afford to compete for lodgings at a high rent.